SAN DIEGO – Lili Reeves, John Rick and Theodosia Ballard have been named San Diego Unified School District’s 2008 Teachers of the Year.
The trio was saluted at the district Day of the Teacher Celebration on Tuesday, May 6, at De Portola Middle School. More than 150 school-site Teachers of the Year and the 2007 class of National Board Certified Teachers were also honored.
A Teacher of the Year is selected for each school level. Ballard, a fifth grade teacher at Porter Elementary School in Lincoln Park, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year. Rick, an algebra/geometry teacher at Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, is Middle School Teacher of the Year. And the Senior High School Teacher of the Year is Lili Reeves, an AVID teacher at Madison High School in Clairemont.
“These three are outstanding examples of the talented and dedicated professionals we have in the San Diego Unified School District,” said Dr. Terry Grier, district superintendent. “Each one has affected their students’ lives in a different way, and has helped them along their road to becoming a productive adult.”
Ballard has been teaching 14 years, all at Porter Elementary and its predecessor, Kennedy Elementary.“I live and teach by the motto that students will rise or fall to your expectations,” she said. “Truth is, my students are under achieving. They have the ability to do well, yet don’t believe they can.”
John Rick began his adult life as an engineer, but went back to school and became a math teacher. He’s been teaching for a decade.
“I consider myself lucky to have found my true calling in life,” he said.
Lili Reeves graduated from Madison High School, did her student teaching on the Clairemont campus and now has been a teacher there for 10 years.
“Encouraging other professionals in this process is a challenge because it requires an admission that we could do better,” she said, “which to some implies that we are not already doing our best.”
Teacher of the Year runners-up were Dr. Linda Lungren, music teacher at EB Scripps Elementary; Bill Doyle, drama teacher at School of Creative and Performing Arts; and Pamela Steckbeck, speech-language pathologist at McKinley Elementary.
The ceremony, hosted by district Superintendent Terry Grier, honored more than 150 school-site teachers of the year. In past years, the Teacher of the Year recognition had been part of a regular Board of Education meeting; this year’s gala was its own event.
Major sponsorship of the event comes from Time Warner Cable, USS Midway Museum, San Diego Education Association, Mission Federal Credit Union, and California Coast Credit Union.
San Diego Unified’s Teachers of the Year and runners-up are eligible to apply for San Diego county Teacher of the Year, part of the process leading to the national Teacher of the Year.
Read the complete list of honorees 
.
